Which Broadway Stars Performed at the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors? | Playbill

Film & TV News Which Broadway Stars Performed at the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors? The celebration will be broadcast December 26 on CBS.
Carmen de Lavallade, Gloria Estefan, LL COOL J, Norman Lear, and Lionel Richie John P. Filo/CBS
A host of artists from a multitude of disciplines were on hand to pay tribute to actor, dancer, and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, singer-songwriter and actor Gloria Estefan, hip hop artist LL Cool J, television writer and producer Norman Lear, and musician and record producer Lionel Richie, who were presented with Kennedy Center Honors December 3.

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which captured the evening, will be broadcast December 26 at 9 PM ET on CBS.

Caroline Kennedy, who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, delivered the opening remarks.

The roster of speakers and performers follows:

//assets.playbill.com/editorial/e1803eba7b215d04ac58a0261a92385d-on-your-feet-tour-production-photo-2017-oyf-tour-9-17-1093-hr.jpg
Company Matthew Murphy
HONOREE: Gloria Estefan
PRESENTERS/ PERFORMERS:
Eva Longoria (Spoken Tribute)
The cast of On Your Feet! The Musical (Performs “1, 2, 3”)
Chaka Khan (Performs “Coming Out of the Dark” with the Howard University Gospel Choir)
Jon Secada (Spoken Tribute)
Becky G (Performs “Mi Tierra”)
Emily Estefan (Performs “Reach”)
Miami Sound Machine (Performs “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”/“Oye”/ “Conga”/“Turn the Beat Around”/“Everlasting Love”/“Get on Your Feet”)

HONOREE: Norman Lear
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/ PERFORMERS:
J.J. Abrams (Spoken Tribute)
United States Airforce Singing Sergeants (Performs “America, the Beautiful”)
Dave Chappelle (Spoken Tribute)
Rob Reiner (Performance Tribute from All in the Family)
Rachel Bloom (Performance Tribute from Maude)
Kenya Barris (Performance Tribute from Good Times)
Anthony Anderson (Performance Tribute from The Jeffersons)
Rita Moreno (Performance Tribute from One Day at a Time)

HONOREE: LL COOL J
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/ PERFORMERS:
Queen Latifah (Spoken Tribute)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Spoken Tribute)
DJ Z-Trip (Performance Tribute)
Busta Rhymes (Performs “Mama Said Knock You Out”)
MC Lyte (Performs “I’m Bad”)
Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter (Performs “It Gets No Rougher”)
Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels (Performs “Rock the Bells”)

//assets.playbill.com/editorial/a3720da4c912659dd6923a825dfe78c4-irish-repertory-theatre-gala-2017-01-hr.jpg
Rebecca Luker Joseph Marzullo/WENN
HONOREE: Carmen de Lavallade
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/ PERFORMERS: Meryl Streep (Spoken Tribute)
Jon Batiste (Performs “Soul Bossa Nova” with dancers Stella Abrera and Brandon Victor Dixon)
Sheléa Frazier (Performs “Wade in the Water” with dancers Alicia Graf Mack, Linda Celeste Sims and Matthew Rushing)
Jacqueline Bolier (Performs “Deux Bourées: N’aï Pas léu De MîO” with dancer Lindsey Croop)
Misty Copeland (Spoken Tribute)
Rebecca Luker (Performs “Bill” with dancers Misty Copeland and Tony nominee Robert Fairchild)
Finale Tribute Performance (Performance of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” featuring all of the Carmen de Lavallade tribute participants and the Howard University Gospel Choir)

HONOREE: Lionel Richie
TRIBUTE PRESENTERS/ PERFORMERS:
Stevie Wonder (Performs “Hello” and “Easy”)
Kenny Rogers (Spoken Tribute)
Luke Bryan (Performs “Penny Lover” and “Sail On”)
Quincy Jones (Spoken Tribute)
Nicole Richie (Spoken Tribute)
Leona Lewis (Performs “Say You Say Me” and “All Night Long”)
Finale Tribute Performance (Reprise Performance of “All Night Long,” featuring all of the Lionel Richie tribute participants)

On Your Feet!, Gloria Estefan Bio Musical, Opens on Broadway; Red Carpet Arrivals, Curtain Call and Party!

 
Latest News
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!